Disgrace Me
by The Butterfly Defect
Summary: How far would you go to save the people you love? What lines would you cross in order to protect them? Uchiha Asami was finding that there was very little she wouldn't do to keep her world from crumbling to pieces. OC Twinfic (slight AU)
1. Chapter 1

A/N

Greetings, readers!

To those of you already following E&R, I haven't abandoned ship or anything, so have no fear. Multitasking is indeed a talent of mine, and if that doesn't reassure you that I will get back to E&R soon, then the knowledge that I really have no life and that writing is all I do in my free time should give you some peace of mind.

Anyway, here's a thing

Enjoy it, or don't?

Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns Naruto and all its characters.

* * *

 _Prologue_

The night before Uchiha Mikoto gave birth to twins, the first ever in the clan, she dreamed of a sunrise.

How the colors stained the sky in hues of orange, pink, and red as the sun rose slowly over the landscape; hills and fields as far as the eye could see. She remembered thinking that the sun seemed to resemble her clan symbol as it peeked out over a distant hilltop. Mikoto might have never torn her gaze from the peaceful view, had she not heard a faint rustling behind her.

A hand went to her stomach protectively as she turned her back on the sun to identify the source of the noise. The first thing to catch her attention was the massive, grotesque tree that stood only a dozen feet away. Withered leaves were scattered around the roots of the dying tree, and its branches were twisted and sharp, making it appear as if hands were reaching out towards the sky in clawing desperation. The trunk was knotted and gnarled, leaning to one side as if it didn't have the energy to stand straightly.

A crow was perched on one of the lower branches, and it stared forebodingly at Mikoto. Looking closer, she realized that the bird's eyes weren't the typical beady black ones; instead they were red, with three black tomoe spinning lazily. The crow cawed at her as she slid her gaze down, avoiding it's sharingan out of habit. It was then she noticed the bird's claws, stained red and dripping blood. Taking a step back, Mikoto blinked and found that the tree, along with the crow, had vanished.

Inhaling, she turned back to the sunrise only to discover that there were two smaller suns now, rather than a single large one. They continued to rise side by side, one a brilliant mix of orange and yellow, the other black with hues of navy and purple. The sight was captivating, unlike anything Mikoto had ever seen before and she found herself quickly forgetting the disturbing crow in favor of committing the otherworldly view to memory.

It had been a strangely peaceful experience, right up until her water broke and she woke from the dream.

One flustered husband, a rushed visit to the hospital, and six painful hours later, Uchiha Sasuke, followed by Uchiha Asami, had been born. As the twins were bundled up and placed into her arms, Mikoto was reminded of her dream and the two suns. She couldn't help but think it had meant something, something very important. Of course, didn't every mother have similar thoughts when it came to their own babies?

Then again, her children were of the Uchiha clan, that alone meant they would be destined for great things; Itachi, her oldest, was only five and already his prodigious talent could be seen. When the Uchiha clan had found out their matriarch was pregnant with twins, they had celebrated. After all, as far as anyone knew these would be the first twins born into the clan, and to the head family no less; surely this was a blessing, a sign for great things to come for the Uchiha.

As Mikoto gazed at her newborns, the beautiful beings she had nurtured, carried, and finally brought into the world, she couldn't help but agree with such thoughts.

The twins were a blessing.

* * *

 _Chapter One_

The twins were a nightmare.

No matter how hard he tried, Fugaku simply could not get them to stop crying. It was around three in the morning, and unfortunately for him Fugaku had been delegated the night shift. Being gone most of the day, he did not spend much time with the twins and therefore wasn't accustomed to their needs. It was up to him to figure out what the problem was though, because his wife desperately need her sleep at night.

It had only been about a month and his poor Mikoto looked worn beyond belief. She was pale and from the dark circles under her eyes it wasn't hard to tell that she wasn't getting enough sleep. Mikoto had always been strong, with a will of steel and to see her so drained and out of sorts pained Fugaku. If a couple hours of sleep lost would ease her stress, then he would gladly bear with it.

The problem was now that he was in the twins room, Fugaku wasn't sure what to do. He'd helped out with Itachi when he had been a baby, but admittedly that had been a long time ago and the boy had never put up too much of a fuss either. Moving over Asami's crib, he eyed the red faced, screeching baby warily before picking her up. It was a wonder she hadn't woken Sasuke up, yelling her tiny lungs out.

After checking for a dirty diaper, feeding her and making several other attempts to get the infant to quiet down Fugaku was at his wits end.

How on earth did his wife manage?

"Enough." He said sternly, holding Asami so that they were eye to eye. "You are being unreasonable and you'll wake your brother up if this continues. Stop this nonsense immediately."

Asami seemed to pause for a moment, blinking and hiccupping. Just when Fugaku thought she would drift off into sleep, and he began to lay her down, did she start up again. Sighing in frustration, he held her back up so they were face to face and an arm's length apart as he worked to keep a glare off his face. Asami wiggled, quieting down and Fugaku shifted as he tried to keep his hold on around her middle. She reached a pudgy hand out, and it was then that he noticed her staring.

From his experience, all babies seemed to look at their surroundings with a dazed gaze, and Asami was no different. She had big, bewildered eyes and seemed to think everything was fascinating. Sasuke was the same way, and when put together the twins spent a good amount of time looking at one another wondrously. Now though, she was looking at Fugaku, arm out as if to touch him.

Unsure what else to do, he brought her closer to him. Her palm met his cheek before it caught his hair. She gave a soft hiccup and then a sigh as her head leaned onto his shoulder and she fell asleep. Adjusting his hold, Fugaku moved over to the rocking chair with an exasperated sigh and began to gently sway back and forth in a soothing rhythm. He'd never admit to how his heart had melted in this moment, not to himself, his wife, or anyone else.

He'd take that little secret to his grave.

* * *

The first time Kushina met the twins, her expression morphed into one of bafflement and awe as her gaze went back and forth between the infants, who were too busy tangling themselves together in a mess of limbs, hair, and baby drool to pay the new arrival any attention. This didn't seem to bother Kushina though, as she was content to simply look at the twins from her position at the table rather than actually interact with them.

"They look exactly alike." She sputtered to her friend, who watched the twins with a fond expression on her face.

"Yes, that tends to happen with twins." Mikoto responded, amusement coloring her voice. "I got lucky that Asami wasn't born a boy, otherwise it'd be hard to tell them apart."

Kushina hummed in acknowledgement, her thoughts going to the child in her belly. He grew stronger every day, and there were only a couple of weeks left until she was due. The thought both excited Kushina and scared her as well; she was going to be in charge of another being's _life_ , one she had been carrying for over eight months. The only thing more terrifying than one baby was having two, but her friend seemed to be doing well enough so far.

"How do you manage, Mikoto-chan?" She asked. "I don't think I could handle having twins, and that's without having another child to raise. You're like some kind of super mother, dattebane!"

"Hardly." Mikoto replied, smirking. "If it wasn't for Fugaku, I don't know how I'd make it through the day."

"Oh kami," Kushina moaned. "What I'll do when my Naruto is born, I haven't a clue."

"Oh?" Mikoto hummed. "Is the great fourth Hokage too busy to help out?"

"No, I'm sure he'll make time if he knows what's good for him."

"Of course." Mikoto teased. "After all, he'd be leaving _you_ alone with the baby otherwise, and isn't that a worrying thought?"

"Oi!" Kushina huffed. "I'll do perfectly fine, great even!"

"I'm sure you will."

"Hand one of them over." Kushina commanded, nodding to the twins. "I've been practicing, just wait and see, Dattebane!"

"Fine." Mikoto sang, untangling Asami's hand from its place in Sasuke's hair and lifting the infant boy from his position on the floor. Kushina held her arms out, cradling Sasuke and supporting his head like she had read to do in one of the many parenting books that sat on her nightstand back home. Mikoto sent her a look of approval and Kushina beamed before turning her gaze to the baby in her arms.

He was a tiny thing, with apple cheeks and a button nose. She moved a finger to his waving hand, cooing when Sasuke wrapped his chubby hand around the appendage. He gurgled happily and gave her a toothless smile, making Kushina laugh as her mind drifted to her own son that had yet to be born. Would he grin at her like this? Would he be a happy baby like Sasuke, even though he didn't have a twin to keep him company?

"Playdates." She said suddenly, looking up. "We should set up playdates for the three of them."

"That's a wonderful idea." Mikoto agreed. "Kami knows they'll be better for it, spreading their horizons to children outside the clan."

The two grinned at each other, and Mikoto picked up Asami, who had begun to whimper. Kushina watched the way her friend dealt with her child so naturally, and wondered if she'd ever reach that point. Her son hadn't even been born yet, but somehow Kushina doubted it'd be so easy. That was okay though, because Minato and she were always up for a challenge; and Kushina had a feeling that Naruto would definitely be a handful.

Still, she worried for him.

The shinobi world was a harsh one, and though the war was over and Konoha was safe, it wouldn't always be that way. Minato had gained a reputation, as had she and now that he was Hokage there was simply no way their Naruto would be able to slip under the radar. She would do her best to protect her son from the cruelty of the world, but what would happen when he became a shinobi?

Who would look after him then?

"Ne, Mikoto-chan…" Kushina mumbled. "…Do you think they'll be okay out there?"

Mikoto paused, understanding her friend's worry.

"They'll be okay." She said firmly. "Because the three of them will have each other."

"That's right." Kushina agreed. "And when that isn't enough, they'll have us."

"Mothers always know best." Mikoto confirmed. "It's in our genes."

"Well, that's a relief." Kushina laughed. "I'll need all the help I can get, my Naruto's going to be trouble, I can feel it."

And she could.

Call it mother's intuition.

* * *

It came in the middle of the night.

A mass of chakra, more malevolent than anything Itachi had ever experienced. The air was thick and heavy with killing intent, and screams began to pierce the air. In moments Itachi was out of bed and stumbling down the hall, not to his parent's room, but to the twins. Something was wrong, and when things went wrong Itachi's mind went straight to Sasuke and Asami; they were small, fragile things who couldn't protect themselves.

Itachi understood this, so he had taken it upon himself to watch over them. As he hurled the door to the twins room open, he caught the outline of a figure. It was his mother, in full jonin uniform; she stood protectively over the cribs, only relaxing at the sight of him.

"Itachi, come here sweetie." She said in a hurried voice. "I need your help, take the twins for me, can you do that?"

"Yes." He moved forward. "What's going on?"

"I don't know yet." Mikoto replied, putting the baby carrier in her hand over Itachi's head. He shifted his arms through the holes as he watched his mother take Sasuke from his crib and shuffle him into the place on Itachi's back. Asami was strapped onto his front, his mother double checking to make sure the twins were secure before placing a weapons pouch onto his side.

"Go to the mountain with the rest of the civilians." She said, speaking quickly. "Don't stop for anything, don't let anyone near the twins, no matter what. You remember what I said about weapons?"

"Hold kunai by the handle, keep it away from Sasuke and Asami, be careful when throwing them." Itachi recited solemnly. "Weapons are not toys, they are sharp and if I have to use one then I have to _mean_ it."

"That's right, my smart boy." Mikoto smiled and let out a shuddering breath. "I have to go now Itachi, it's my job to protect the village. Do you understand what that means?"

Itachi nodded.

"Just like it's my job to protect Konoha, it's yours to protect the twins." Mikoto said. "You're their big brother; that means that no matter what, they come first. Protect them, get to the shelters, okay?"

"I will." Itachi confirmed.

She kissed his head and then she was gone.

Itachi looked at Asami, eyes wide, silent and completely still. Sasuke was the same way on his back, and it worried Itachi. The twins were always moving, wriggling or cooing, and the stillness now was unnerving. Itachi was afraid, but he couldn't show it because the twins were counting on him. Quickly, he ran from the house and the compound, going with the flow of the crowd.

Smoke curled above the taller buildings and people moved in a panic, scattering and pushing as they went. Itachi was clever though and knew his way around Konoha better than most, he could get past the chaos of people easily. As he ran down alley ways and jumped over obsticles in his path, something caught his eye and he paused. In the distance a monster as big as the mountain stood, looming over parts of the village as it destroyed buildings and the like.

It's face was shaped like a fox, but it's upper body vaguely resembled that of a human, with elbows, hand, fingers, and apposable thumbs. It's many tails swished as it gave a great roar, and Itachi tore his gaze from the beast, moving at a dead sprint now. The twins hadn't even twitched, they were both frozen, likely too afraid to make a sound. The thought only made Itachi move faster, his resolve strengthened. He would protect them; get them to the safety of the shelters under the mountain like he had told their mother he would do.

When Itachi had first laid eyes on the twins, he hadn't been sure that he would like them, and then they had smiled at him so happily, giggling even. He had been taken with them from then on, playing with the two even when they pulled on his hair or drooled on his clothes. Itachi was their aniki, and he wasn't going to let anything happen to his precious siblings; not tonight, or ever.

Itachi would always protect them.

It was the promise of a lifetime.

* * *

A/N

So much foreshadowing, way more than I actually intended but it's too late now. I know this chapter is short, the rest will gradually become longer though so have no fear.

Anyway, this is just something that's been haunting me for a while and I couldn't bring myself to put it off any longer. There are so many Uzumaki twin fanfics but surprisingly not many out there with Sasuke having a twin.

That's beside the point though.

Thoughts? Questions?

Please Review!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N

I have been waiting until I finished writing Expectation & Revelations to post this chapter so that I could really dedicate myself to this story but people keep following it and the guilt is _weighing me down_ okay?

You guys win.

Hopefully, no one will notice if I just post a quick chapter….

Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns everything other than Asami.

* * *

Secrecy kept the shinobi world spinning.

That was Asami's first lesson on how to be a great shinobi, a lesson her parents had been determined to teach her. The shinobi world spun on secrecy, and it's currency was information. They were four when Sasuke and she gained their first secret.

Had anyone ever asked her, Asami would tell them that being a twin was as natural as breathing. The two of them had done everything together, side by side sharing each other's pain and sensing the other's mood. If while playing in the garden she was stung by a bee, her twin would come running out the door and to a stop at her side before the tears had time to spill over. Every time Sasuke had a nightmare she would be there, tiptoeing into his room and crawling into bed so that her twin could sleep safely with the knowledge that he wasn't alone.

That was the way it had always been; you could put the two of them on opposite sides of the Uchiha compound and they'd find one another with little difficulty. One always knew when there was something wrong with the other, and in Asami's mind there was nothing unusual about it; after all, she had never known any different. It was not until their parents sat them down one day and asked about the bond they shared, as though they had not been aware of it beforehand, that she began to wonder. That was the day that Asami learned about secrets, and why the connection she shared with her twin had to be one.

"Sometimes, secrets aren't bad things." Their father had explained. "Sometimes, they're there to protect you. People are not good and kind all of the time, and there are some that might want to take you two away from us if they knew, or try to use you for their own greed. Today begins your training as members of the Uchiha clan; a good shinobi knows how to keep a secret, and so your jobs are to keep this one, do you two understand?"

"From everyone?" Sasuke had asked. "Even the clan?"

"Yes." Their mother had firmly replied. "This is a secret just between us, alright?"

And that was how Asami got her first secret.

Their parents were insistent that they never speak of it to anyone outside of the household, and never in a place that they could be overheard. Asami could tell that for whatever reason, her parents were afraid, so she listened well and never directly spoke of it, not even in the late hours of the night with only her twin by her side. After that day, there was a small part of her that began to fear as well; Sasuke, however, was not as careful as her, nor was he prone to listening.

That was how Shisui-nii found out.

There was not a single time in her life that Asami had feared her father, but on that day she'd truly felt sorry for her cousin. How pale he'd been with her father's grip on his arm, leading Shisui-nii into his private office with an expression of stone; she remembered seeing the bruise that had formed later on Shisui-nii's arm, dark and clear, standing out against the paleness of his skin. There had been no yelling, at least, none that could be heard over the sound of her mother. The lecture Sasuke received from her that day had been different from the rest; from the quiet, seething tone, and the worry in her eyes, Asami could sense that she was scared, to the point where she would not raise her voice.

Itachi-nii had been upset too, silently leaning against the doorway, gaze shifting between them and the office door. Asami hated when her family was unhappy, so she had done her best to cheer him up, putting on a smile, hugging his side and explaining that she loved him very much. His smile had been sad, but she could tell that the sentiment had been appreciated because he'd petted her hair in thanks. That'd been a rough day for her family, the office door had remained shut for hours, and when it finally opened once more, the circle of secret keepers had grown one more.

After that, Asami grew rather good at keeping secrets, some even from her twin.

* * *

"Boar." Her father's eyes bled into red as the twins moved to perform the corresponding hand seal. "Monkey. Rat. Snake. Ox. Dog. Ram. Bird. Boar. Tiger. Hare. Dragon. Horse. Monkey. Tiger. Dragon. Rat. Bird. Boar."

On and on he went, naming seals in no particular sequence as the two showed off the results of their hard work. Every month, Asami and Sasuke spent a morning showing their father the progress of their training, and with only six weeks before their first day at the academy, the twins had been training like crazy. When their father was satisfied with their hand seals, they moved on to katas; first, a few that had been passed down through the clan for ages, and then the standard hidden leaf forms.

As they worked through the checklist of their training, a pit of dread formed in Asami's stomach. Sasuke and she pulled everything off flawlessly, passing test after test under their father's watchful gaze. Then, he said the words she did not want to hear. "It's time for your spar. The time limit is five minutes, go."

Sparring was frustrating for everyone involved when the twins had an audience.

In a span of five minutes, the two went through long range attacks, to close combat, to finishing in a tie with no blood drawn. Asami looked to their father, seeing the way his lips pressed together unhappily; they had put on a dance for him, not an actual fight. Why he expected anything else, she wasn't sure. This was how it had always been, her spars with Sasuke; they never went all out, neither willing to cause harm to the other. Asami waited for their father to order them to do it again, as he usually did until one of them cracked, but he did not get the chance as a guest appeared.

"Oh." One of their clansmen said as he approached from the house. "My apologies, Fugaku-sama, I did not mean to interrupt. Shall I return later?"

Asami eyed the man, knowing what the answer would be before it came out of her father's mouth. It had been phrased like a question, as though their clansman was asking, but in reality he wasn't. There was only one right answer here, and her father knew it. "It is of no bother, Aki-san. Please, sit."

Asami moved to her twin, taking his offered hand, and together they waited until their father nodded, dismissing them. Unfortunately, Asami did not turn her gaze away from Aki-san fast enough, and he caught her eye.

"Good morning, Asami-sama, Sasuke-sama."

"Good morning." They echoed politely.

"I must say, I am looking forward to the demonstration at the next clan meeting." He told the two before turning to address their father. "The clan is eager as well; after all, it is not every day we are graced with such a rare sight. With the privacy and mystery surrounding their training, they must surely be as gifted as Itachi-sama. The Uchiha clan is truly blessed to have such strong children."

Asami felt Sasuke's grip tighten, and she shot her gaze over to their father. He hummed neutrally, and smoothly changed the topic. "Tell me, Aki-san; what business have to brought to me today?"

With Aki-san's attention elsewhere, Sasuke led Asami into the house and they managed to escape the conversation. The two lingered for a moment, both caught in their own thoughts. Had Aki-san not interrupted, they would have been forced to spar once more; it was one of the rules though, that the twins did not spar in front of anyone that did not know their secret unless specifically told otherwise. Aki-san's comment had only served to remind them of what was to come in five weeks, and why the occasion was of such importance.

Asami was aware of how she and her twin seemed to shinobi society.

It was custom for the heads of two major clans to get together every once in a while for tea and a demonstration. When Itachi-nii had been small, he'd participated in that sort of thing on numerous occasions; in fact, even Shisui-nii had gone to a few. It was a show of power, an event that Asami had never experienced because her parents didn't think it was wise. So the twins had only sparred in front of strangers about four times in their lives, and now at the next clan meeting, they were supposed to spar in from of everyone.

While both of them felt the pressure, Sasuke was more sensitive about the subject.

His eyes were trained on the floor boards as they stood in the empty hall. Asami could see the turmoil, and all the other things he was feeling, and it left a bad taste in her mouth. She started to say something when their mother poked her head into the hall, took one look at Sasuke, and opened her arms. He snuggled into her hug, gripping the fabric of her shirt tightly, and Asami took this moment to really look at their mother.

She looked the same as always, but all you had to do was look a little bit closer to see it; the tightening at the corner of her eyes, the clenched teeth behind her smile. Their mother was worried, though about what exactly Asami couldn't say. It was probably a mixture of things, like the clansman that had been lurking outside the house; Asami knew that her mother would have never allowed him in, not during training, so he must have forced her hand. Or maybe it was that Sasuke was upset, and neither of them could do anything about it.

As Asami looked at the two of them, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like, if they hadn't been twins. If maybe they had never been so attuned to one another, would that have made their lives easier? When Sasuke let go and took a step back, their mother ran a hand through his hair and said, "Why don't you two go play outside today?"

"Lunch first?" Sasuke asked. "We'll help."

"How about I give you some money to buy a treat in the village instead?" Mother suggested. "Kaa-chan is very busy this morning, and I think after passing Otou-san's test you two deserve a reward." Asami perked up a bit at this, but then to her disappointment, her mother added, "And by reward I mean _food_ Asami. Sasuke, you're in charge of the money, don't let your sister talk you into buying a book, okay?"

Sasuke nodded firmly, and addressed Asami. "No books today."

"Fine." Asami deflated and crossed her arms. She really wanted a new book though, so much more than a snack.

 _Maybe Tou-chan will take me to get one_. She thought idly. Their mother handed Sasuke some coins, and after stashing them in his pocket, they walked out the door. As they wandered down the street, Asami found herself going back to their mother and couldn't help but think that perhaps she hadn't been busy like she had said; that she'd simply wanted to get them out of the house for some reason. It was one of those things Asami would have to explain to her twin later, along with Aki-san. Sasuke… well, he had eyes, but he didn't really seem to _see_ like she did.

Aki-san had only pretended to ask, and with the way her mother had looked, Asami had a lingering suspicion that he hadn't come for a simply update or complaint; Aki-san had been on a mission, and… she didn't have any proof, it was just a gut feeling really, but whatever he came for must have been extremely important. If Asami acted the way he had at another person's home, her mother would have murdered her for displaying such ill-manners. The more she thought on it, the more a very familiar feeling began to creep up on her and Asami tried desperately to smother it, pretend it wasn't there.

It was an impossible task though, because there was no running from it.

She was, quite literally, surrounded by reminders of the feeling, and it stalked her like a shadow as she continued down the street. Asami was ashamed of it, because she knew the way she felt was not particularly kind, in fact it was a terrible way to feel and yet she could not help it. This was something she never said out loud, not to her family and not even to her twin, because admitting it to anyone else was unimaginable, especially when she had a hard enough time admitting it to herself in the first place.

It was her darkest secret.

The Uchiha clan was not boisterous; they did not shout or run wildly or do anything so unrefined because their clan was respectable. They were kind though, always asking after another clan member's family, their latest mission or how well their business was going. The Uchiha clan was her blood, so Asami should have loved them no matter their faults, because no one was perfect and when you were in a clan, you looked after your own. She should have loved and accepted them despite all else, just as her parents did, but…Asami simply didn't.

The Uchiha clan was one of the four noble clans, one of Konoha's foundings that helped build the village from the ground up, and Asami could not be more proud to be part of that legacy. She was, without a doubt, an Uchiha to the very core of her being; but there were times when she wished that her family had been a normal one, and not part of any clan. Asami did not like very many of her cousins and clansmen, nice as they were, and there was a simple reason for this.

They were a burden on her family.

They were a burden to her father, who was always working; at the police station, and at home. If he wasn't doing paperwork, than he was listening to the complaints and requests of their clansmen, soothing disputes and making compromises. They were a burden on her mother, who did so much more than look after her children and their house; she was always planning events and meetings, and when she wasn't doing that Asami's mother was having hushed conversations with the other Uchiha women that stopped by, taking on and resolving whatever issues she could to lighten the work load.

On top of all that, she extensively trained Asami and Sasuke.

And then there was Itachi-nii.

He was always gone away on a mission, and during the brief moments he was home, it was for clan training. Her Nii-chan was The Pride Of The Uchiha Clan, or at least that's what everyone seemed to think. The clan was always pushing him, to take more missions, rise higher in the world, and it _burned_ her every time she thought of it. Itachi-nii was tired, her parents were tired, and no one in the clan appeared to see it; no one but her. So there were many times Asami daydreamed of what it would be like if her family were the only Uchiha around

A world where she could go home and sit at the dinner table and not think about how being in a clan was wearing them all out; where they could eat dinner in peace. Her clansmen, sometimes when they came around, it was suffocating. There always seemed to be tension in the air, and Asami had noticed more than that; it was whispers in the street, back handed comments about anyone that _wasn't_ an Uchiha, and this sense of growing unrest. It felt as though no matter how hard her family tried, no matter how much they pushed themselves, the clan was never satisfied.

All they ever seemed to do was take, and a teeny part of Asami resented them for that.

She would never admit it to anyone though.

Her twin was oblivious to the tension, Itachi-nii was never home, and her parents were doing their best. So she stifled down those dark emotions, and terrible thoughts, buried them deep and put lid over the top

She wouldn't be a burden too.

* * *

"You can do it." Sasuke encouraged her. "It's easy. Just, take the step."

"Okay." Asami replied, though her feet remained unmoving. She stared at the ground, then at her twin before glancing back at the ground. They were at the clan gates, where Sasuke had already stepped out into the village and had turned to wait for her patiently. The problem was, Asami was having trouble getting her feet to move; it was not often that the twins left the Uchiha compound, and she couldn't help but think as to the last time that had happened.

The last time Asami had left without supervision, it had been entirely accidental and the resulting experience was something she hadn't been keen to repeat. See, the Uchiha compound was on the outer parts of the village, and it was very large; so large, in fact, that it had a forest within its borders. Two years ago, on a dull day with nothing better to do, she had Sasuke had decided to wander into the forest and do some exploring. At some point, exploring turned into flat out playing, and so they spent quite some time running around, chasing one another deeper and deeper through the trees.

After traveling in far enough, the two of them had stumbled across a baby deer.

Now, it had to be said that, for whatever reason, animals liked Asami; birds, squirrels, rabbits, they all flocked to her if given the chance, and Asami very much liked animals as well. So there they were, standing a couple of meters away from this tiny baby deer, all on its own and looking at them with big sad eyes. It hadn't run away, and so Asami sat down, put her hand out, and waited to see if it would come to her. The baby deer approached cautiously, but eventually it did, allowing her to coo and pet it's fur. When the sky began to darken, the twins had known it was time to leave and they'd began the journey back.

The baby deer followed them.

It hadn't seemed interested in leaving Asami's side, and whenever she stopped her petting it would nudge her hand. The two of them had pondered over what to do, because the baby deer kept following them, and the mother was nowhere in sight os if they ran away, it would be on its own and who knew what would happen then. As she had stated before, Asami really, really liked animals, so after taking in all of the facts, in her mind there had only been one logical option to be had.

She'd decided to take it home with her.

The baby deer went along willingly, and it never occurred to her that that part of the forest might not belong to her clan. Suffice to say, her mother was not happy with her; in fact, she'd been very angry, saying that there would be _no pets_ in this household, _especially_ woodland creatures, and _did she know what she had done_? The short answer was no, Asami did not know what she'd done wrong. Apparently, this was a grave offense and a clan law had been broken. Under her mother's withering gaze Asami had been forced to apologize to an amused Nara-sama, who did not appear to be miffed in the least.

When her father tucked her into bed that night, he had not been angry either; he'd chuckled upon hearing her story ("Baby deers are called fawn, love."), but that was another secret her mother was never to know. After that incident, Asami had felt apprehensive about leaving the clan compound. However, that had been almost two years ago; Asami was six now, starting the academy in mere weeks, and most importantly, she wasn't a baby anymore.

Now it was time to prove that.

If she could just get her feet to move.

Sasuke hadn't had any problem, but then, he'd always been the brave one. Asami was more cautious, more prone to waiting and thinking and watching; that was why she noticed things that Sasuke didn't.

He was brave, and she was careful.

"Here, let me help." He said, holding out his hands for her to take. Once she did so, he pulled her forward and suddenly the two of them were out on the street. "See? Not so bad."

"Not so bad." She agreed, exhaling.

Together, they wandered up and down the streets of the village, stopping once over at the academy for a peek. There were a few students playing inside the property, so the two did not linger for very long before continuing on. Next to the academy was the Hokage tower, though Asami had to say that she wasn't too impressed by the building; perhaps because the mountain behind it was much more interesting. They could see the faces of the previous Hokage all the way from the Uchiha compound, and up close those faces were massive.

They stood a little ways off from the tower, staring straight up at the mountain.

As they took in the stone sculpted faces of the previous Hokage, Asami mused to herself that the mountain was a bit like a field of flowers. It had always been there, in the distance, and therefore a sight she'd seen a hundred times; but like with a field of flowers, when you went closer to admire them and got to see all the little details, that's when their beauty really struck you, that's when you felt the urge to pick those flowers.

"I think I wanna touch them." Asami murmured aloud.

"Me too." Her twin responded, gaze never wavering from the stone. The problem was, neither knew where to find the path that led them up there; they hadn't come across it yet, and Asami felt that it wasn't something they could ask an adult about since they probably wouldn't be allowed up if anyone took notice.

Still, she wanted to go.

It was then that someone called out to the two of them, and the twins reluctantly tore their gazes from the mountain. There, at the doors of the Hokage tower they found two very familiar people; their brother, and their cousin. Itachi-nii looked pleased to see them, but it was Shisui-nii that waved wildly. He hopped down the stairs and held his arms open, causing the twins to race over. Asami was faster, and that was part of the reason she beat her twin there; the other part might have been the head start, and that she might have pushed him back a bit for said head start, but who was counting?

"Hello, Asa-chan." Shisui beamed, swinging her around as she stumbling into his arms, and Asami laughed in delight. He continued to hold her even after they stopped spinning, and as her giggles died down Asami brought her hands to his cheeks and squished them together.

"I missed you." She informed him.

"Aw," He replied through squished lips. "Did you come all the way here to greet me?"

"Nope." Asami let go of his face, using an arm to steady herself. "But now that you're here, I'm happy we came. No more missions away from the village, okay?"

"As you command, Asa-chan." Shisui-nii grinned.

"Good." Asami gave her oldest brother a pointed look. "Maybe I'll marry you instead, Shisui-nii."

Itachi-nii's laugh was quiet and fond as he stood from having greeted Sasuke. Asami turned her nose up at him, but when he pulled her into his arms she obliged, cuddling into him. Asami sensed him give Shisui-nii a look, though when she looked up from his shoulder Itachi-nii was smiling pleasantly; Shisui-nii on the other hand, looked a bit pale.

He widened his eyes at her and said, "Asa-chan, I want to live a full life; please marry Itachi instead."

"Hmm…Okay." Asami wrapped her arms around her brother's neck. "Welcome home, Nii-chan."

Itachi-nii asked, "Do I get a treat this time?"

It was a running thing Asami always did whenever he came home from a long mission. Sometimes she brought him candy, or a picture she drew, or flowers; it all depended on what she was feeling. This time, Asami didn't have anything to give him so she improvised instead and gave her brother a kiss on the cheek, "I'm the treat."

He thanked her and smiled.

She really had missed him.

"So what are you two doing all the way over here on this side of the village?" Shisui-nii questioned. "Isn't today your testing day?"

Asami patted for her brother to put her down, and after her feet touched the ground, she shrugged. "We didn't get to finish."

"One of the clansmen showed up." Sasuke explained, scuffing his shoe against the ground. "He mentioned the clan meeting in a few weeks."

Asami watched the two older boys share a glance.

Itachi-nii ruffled Sasuke's hair. "Don't worry about that. It's going to go just like Okaa-san planned."

The glance Sasuke gave her was filled with silent doubt.

They both knew better.

* * *

Dinner started out quite nicely.

Itachi-nii was home, and her father wasn't busy in his office, so went they sat down at the dinner table, Asami had been happy.

Then Sasuke said, "You're coming to the entrance ceremony, right Nii-san?"

The pleasant mood died slowly from there as a fight ensued.

When an Uchiha fought, it was done quietly, and overbearingly. The tension between their brother and their father weighed down on them as Itachi-nii gave him a look at Asami could only name as calm defiance. On the other hand, their father looked stern, unmovable as stone, and though no words were said, it was clear that neither would be budging anytime soon. Even Sasuke was able to pick up on it, despite their mothers attempts to move onto another subject, and he seemed to sink into himself, sorry for having said anything in the first place.

Asami hated that look.

She wanted Itachi-nii to come as well, she wanted everyone there of course, but Asami also didn't want to bother them on it either and have a fight start. She didn't even know why it had grown ugly so fast, only that she couldn't bear to leave it like this.

"It's okay," She reassured them. "Nii-chan and Tou-chan are important people so if you can't come, it's okay, so no more fighting please."

That seemed to break their staring contest.

Her father looked at her, and Asami pleaded with him silently.

"Ah.." He patted her hair, and the tension eased from the room.

There was no more said on the matter, but it had been enough to dull Asami's good mood. When dinner ended, her father retreated into his study, Itachi-nii went to have a bath, and Asami helped her twin clear the table. When the food was put away and the windows and blinds were shut, they sat back down at the table and waited as their mother retrieved a box from one of the linen closets. Twice a day Asami sat down at this table and learned from her mother; in the mornings, it was etiquette and other Kunoichi lessons that Sasuke never had to participate in.

It was only at night that he joined them, this time for another family secret.

When their mother returned with the box and set it down, she opened it and began laying out textbooks, notebooks, spare paper and pencils. A clean sheet of paper was handed to each of them, and the twins took up their pencils as their mother exhaled from her place across the table, expression neutral, and began. "Question number one. During what year did the founding clans come together and create Konohagakure?"

Asami scribbled an answer down, and looked up for the next question.

The twins spent fifteen minutes writing down answers before the test was finished and their mother was going over their papers. She did not grade them, simply glanced at the sheets before slipping them into the folder at her side. Then they were going over textbooks, working out equations, memorizing geography, and practicing kanji. For three hours every night, their mother taught them things they would be learning in the academy, and she did it in secret. It had started a few months before their sixth birthday, and had been a tradition ever since.

"It won't be enough, doing well in your training." She had told them. "The two of you must excel at it, for Otou-san's sake, okay? I know it isn't fair, but… when the time comes, it's very important that we have some… results to show everyone. So I'm going to teach you two, and when you enter school, you'll already know everything and you won't have to worry."

"I don't understand, Kaa-chan." Sasuke had replied, and Asami hadn't either.

"Because your Otou-san is working very hard to keep our family together." Their mother had explained. "He's making sure our secret stays that way, so we have to work hard and help him too."

Even now Asami didn't entirely understand. All she knew was that her father kept them safe and kept people away, so Asami had to do her very best to help him. Their clan expected them to do great things, so Asami would live up to those expectations if it helped her family. This, she knew, was different than her clan training, because everyone knew about that. They didn't know what happened at night though, and from the way her mother acted, Asami had the feeling that this secret was more important than she had any idea about.

Her mother made them read textbooks over and over until Asami could recite the words by heart. She taught them how chakra worked, the natural flow of it and how to channel it into certain parts of their body. They knew the signs for clone, henge, and substitution jutsu, though neither could pull one off yet. At night, their mother became their teacher, and the twins were drilled relentlessly so that when they finally entered the academy, they would surpass everyone's expectations.

When those three hours were up, she became their mother once more.

Then it would be two quick bathes and off to bed for the twins. Their mother would tuck Sasuke into bed, and lecture Asami about staying in her own room at night.

"It was cute when the two of you were younger," She said as Asami shuffled into her own bed. "but you're a big girl now, and I expect you to act like one. It isn't ladylike to sleep in a boy's bed anymore darling, so do try to stay in _your_ bed tonight."

Asami pouted, but then her father appeared, slipping past her mother to tuck her into bed like he did most nights and gave her a look that said _put that lip away right now young lady_. She did as she was told, waiting patiently as he sat down on the bed, looked at her eager expression, and sighed. "So then, what will it be tonight?"

"A story." She answered quickly.

"Ah, let me think then." Her father said. He mulled it over for a few seconds before looking back to her and beginning. "Long, long ago, before hidden villages were a concept, in the darker days of the warring clan era, there lived a princess. She was of the Uchiha clan, one daughter among many, many sons to the clan head at the time.

"The princess was not as strong as her brothers, her sharingan not yet awakened, and so she did not see the battlefield as they so often did. Time and again, her brothers went off with the other men of the Uchiha clan to war, and each time they returned, she was one brother less. This saddened the princess, but more than that, it angered her; her clan was suffering, unable to find a moment of peace because the Uchiha were not like the other clans. With the gift of the sharingan, they were a target to many and so when one enemy fell, another was there to take it's place."

"What did she do?" Asami asked intently, and her question brought a small smile to her father's face.

"She prayed." He said, reaching out to smooth the crease in Asami's brow. Her nose scrunched, but the gleam in her father's gaze had her leaning forward as he continued. "She prayed to the gods, every night, but they did not answer her. As the numbers of her clan dwindled, and her brothers fell one by one, the princess continued to pray, for it was the only thing she could think to do. She prayed to life, and to death, to the earth and to the sun and once to even the Sage of Sixth Paths himself, but her prayers were in vain; the gods did not care for her pleas, and they turned their backs on the princess.

"Then, one night under the light of a full moon, enemies came and attacked the home Uchiha clan whilst they slept. Unprepared, the Uchiha struggled to defend themselves as their homes were burned and the weaker members of their clan slaughtered. The princess rose from her bed to the smell of smoke and screams. It was her first taste of the horrors of war, and as she walked through the blood stained streets, past the bodies of her kin, to where the last of her brothers fought and fell to the enemy, she could take no more.

"Her eyes glowed red, and with a rage filled scream the princess released her wrath upon the enemy and the world went up in flames of white. Few managed to escape her, and when the fire died, leaving naught but ash in its wake, the enemies left standing saw that not a single member of the princess's clan had been harmed by her divine flames. The enemy fled in fear, and word had been spread; there was a goddess living in the body of the Uchiha Princess, and she would smite any that dared to bring war to her doorstep."

"Was she really a goddess?" Asami wondered in awe.

"That is what the legend says." Her father answered.

She quieted, thinking over the story. It was sad that the gods didn't answer the princess's prayers, and Asami thought that she wouldn't pray to such a horrible god if that's what they were like. "Why didn't the princess pray to the moon?"

"Hmm," Her father petted her hair, and replied, "Why do you think she didn't?"

"Because…" Asami paused, unsure. She yawned, and blinked slowly, the smooth, steady tone of her father's voice finally lulling her. Asami wanted to ask more about the story, and the princess, but sleep was catching up with her, and soon the thoughts began to drift off. "I don't know."

"Why don't you think on it, and when you have an answer, come tell me." He placed a kiss on her head before standing up and going to the door. Asami was nearly too caught up in her thoughts to respond as he flipped the light switch, though she mumbled out a goodnight. Just before he shut the door, she caught his quiet words, "Sweet dreams, love."

As she fell into the twilight zone between consciousness and sleep, Asami wasn't thinking of the princess anymore, or her prayers.

That night, Asami dreamed of white fire.

* * *

A/N

You know what they say about procrastination.

When you have a deadline and you just can't seem to make the words work, move on to a different fic and waste your time there.

Whatever, maybe no one will notice.

Anyway, I wanted to say that writing in third person is so much more difficult for me, and that I honestly considered writing this in first person simply for my own sake. I didn't though because it's a challenge and it'll help me grow as a writer. That said, this will probably be my least updated fic because the chapters take so much longer to write, so please bear with me and my frustrations. Since Disgrace Me has been up for so damn long, I'll answer some of the more reoccurring questions below and hopefully shine some light for you guys.

 **How closely do you intend to follow canon with this fanfic?**

I like to demolish canon in all my fics whenever possible, but unlike Expectations & Revelations where everything is thrown to the wind, this fic is going to follow a _small_ timeline that vaguely resembles Naruto, in the most distant sense possible.

That probably doesn't help but I did answer so there you go.

 **Is Asami going to end up on team seven?**

When hell freezes over, maybe.

This fic is really more centered on her than the whole of team seven, ninety nine percent of the time, Asami is going to be completely uninvolved. That one percent of the time… well, we should all look forward to that.

 **What Hogwarts house would Asami be in?**

Asami is my first non Slytherin and I am so proud.

She's a Hufflepuff, all the way.

 **Is Asami going to replace Sakura as the third Sannin?**

No. No. No. That would make her a literal knock off Sakura.

 **Did you abandon this fic?**

Clearly this is not the case.

Anyway,

Thoughts? Questions?

Please Review!


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